The Philippine Islands are located in Southeastern Asia, archipelago between the Philippine Sea and the South China Sea, east of Vietnam. The Philippine Islands became a Spanish colony during the 16th century; they were ceded to the US in 1898 following the Spanish-American War. In 1935 the Philippines became a self-governing commonwealth.

We commenced supporting 15 of the most needy children with Type 1 diabetes through the three-referral centres in Manila in 2001. These centres are:

Philippine General Hospital / University of the Philippines, which receives referrals from all over the country.

The Philippine Center for Diabetes Education - a unique clinic situated within the prestigious private Makati Medical Center, that cares not only for wealthier families but also many children and adults from impoverished situations.

The Institute for the Study of Diabetes at the University of East Ramon Magsaysay, which manages many poor patients, and educates health professionals.

The number of children supported has increased to 31 in 2009. The three centres looking after these children provide expert care and teaching but struggle to provide adequate supplies: insulin, blood glucose meters and test strips, urine strips, HbA1c tests, syringes and needles – families need to purchase these. Some families can manage this, others cannot. The program helps those families with limited resources, so that they have the necessary equipment to allow them to manage their diabetes. The children are flourishing with some of them expressing their appreciation through cards and letters.